纯正地道美语(外教讲解)161：社会保险

　　A: Well, that was an interesting documentary!
B: For sure!  I didn’t really understand some of the technical jargon¹ they used in the film when they talked about social security in the US.
A: Like what?
B: Well, they mentioned how people put away money in something called a 401K?
A: Yeah, I know it sounds weird², but a 401k is a type of retirement³ plan that allows employees to save  and invest for their own retirement. Through a you can authorize⁴ your employer to deduct⁵ a certain amount of money from your paycheck and invest it in the plan. Everyone tries to contribute as much as possible so that when you retire, you can rest peacefully on your nest egg.
B: That’s interesting and logical I guess. In my country, we also have to contribute to a government-run retirement fund, but most people don’t really  trust it so they just invest in properties or things like that.
A: That seems a bit unstable⁶ don’t you think?
B: Yeah, but corrupt⁷ governments in the past have created distrust among banks and financial institutions, so now people prefer to have money hidden in a jar or a piggy bank.
A: I’ve been thinking of doing that lately! I don’t want  some banker to run off with my money!
Social Security 美国政府推行的一项保护某些群体的政策
invest vt. 投资
The state has planned to invest two millions in the dam.
国家计划投资两百万元修建这个大坝。
拓展词汇】
pension n.养老金，抚恤金
disability insurance伤残保险
survivor⁸ benefits遗属津贴(援助那些劳动力死亡的家庭)
unemployment benefits/compensation 事业保险
defined benefit plan养老金的固定受益计划

　　A:那是个有意思的纪录片。
B:当然，我不明白影片中档他们谈到美国社会保险时提及的一些技术术语。
A:比如说？
B:他们提到人们如何将钱投进一个叫401K的东西。
A:我知道它听起来和奇怪，事实上401K是一项退休计划，它允许雇员将钱省下来为了以后的退休而投资。通过这个机会，你可以授权雇主从你的工资中扣除一定量的钱，并将钱投入那个计划。每个人都尽可能的出钱，以便当你退休时可以安享晚年。
B:那很有意思也很符合逻辑。在我的国家，我们必须拿些钱加入政府经管的基金，但是大多数人并不相信，人们还是将钱投到房产或类似的东西上。
A:那看起来不稳定，你不觉得吗？
B:是的，但是目前的政府让银行和金融机构感到不可信任。所以现在人们更愿意将钱藏到罐子里或是存到贪心的银行里。
A:我也正在向那么做。我不想让某个银行家将我的钱卷走。
 

1 jargon   

n.术语，行话

参考例句：

• They will not hear critics with their horrible jargon.他们不愿意听到评论家们那些可怕的行话。
• It is important not to be overawed by the mathematical jargon.要紧的是不要被数学的术语所吓倒.

2 weird   

adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的

参考例句：

• From his weird behaviour,he seems a bit of an oddity.从他不寻常的行为看来，他好像有点怪。
• His weird clothes really gas me.他的怪衣裳简直笑死人。

3 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

4 authorize   

v.授权，委任；批准，认可

参考例句：

• He said that he needed to get his supervisor to authorize my refund.他说必须让主管人员批准我的退款。
• Only the President could authorize the use of the atomic bomb.只有总统才能授权使用原子弹。

5 deduct   

vt.扣除，减去

参考例句：

• You can deduct the twenty - five cents out of my allowance.你可在我的零用钱里扣去二角五分钱。
• On condition of your signing this contract,I will deduct a percentage.如果你在这份合同上签字，我就会给你减免一个百分比。

6 unstable   

adj.不稳定的，易变的

参考例句：

• This bookcase is too unstable to hold so many books.这书橱很不结实，装不了这么多书。
• The patient's condition was unstable.那患者的病情不稳定。

7 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。

8 survivor   

n.生存者，残存者，幸存者

参考例句：

• The sole survivor of the crash was an infant.这次撞车的惟一幸存者是一个婴儿。
• There was only one survivor of the plane crash.这次飞机失事中只有一名幸存者。